Principal Adviser Readiness Animals

Job title: Principal Adviser - Operational Readiness Animals

Role type: Permanent Full Time

Location: Wellington

General Salary Range C: $119,376 to $139,700+ dependant on skills and experience

Are you a strategic thinker with deep expertise in animal disease readiness?

Do you thrive in complex environments and enjoy leading programmes that protect New Zealand's biosecurity?

If so, we invite you to apply for the role of Principal Adviser - Operational Readiness Animals at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

About the Role - Korero mo te turanga

As our Principal Adviser, you'll lead readiness planning for exotic animal disease outbreaks that could significantly impact New Zealand. You'll provide expert advice, shape strategic direction, contribute to threat readiness development and ensure our readiness systems are robust, integrated, and internationally aligned.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• Lead strategic planning for exotic animal disease readiness e.g. Avian Flu and Foot and Mouth Disease are MPI's two top priorities
• Provide technical input during disease responses and operationalise policy
• Develop and refine operational documents and readiness to respond implementation operational plans (e.g. depopulation, disposal, decontamination, movement control, vaccination etc)
• Analyse research trials and apply findings to readiness planning
• Deliver high-quality briefings to senior leaders and stakeholders
• Maintain awareness of international best practices and apply them in a New Zealand context
• Build relationships with international partners, including the QUADs Alliance
• Coach and mentor colleagues to build capability
• Influence Government Industry Agreement (GIA) partners and governance to enhance strategic and integrated national readiness

About You - Mou

To succeed effectively in this role you'll be someone with:

• Strong leadership and strategic integrated planning skills
• Deep technical knowledge of animal disease responses and epidemiology
• Experience working with stakeholders across government, industry, and international networks
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to deliver impactful briefings
• A collaborative mindset and ability to influence across diverse groups
• A good understanding of systems and how they integrate with, and impact other teams

You do not need to meet all of the role requirements to apply. We offer a breadth of development and learning opportunities and will welcome an application if you think you could make a great fit.

We envisage your commencement date with us to be in February 2026.

About the Team - Mo to matou Ropu

We're committed to safeguarding New Zealand's way of life. Our team of 5 values openness, agility, and proactive engagement. We support diversity and inclusion, and we're united by a spirit of service to MPI and the communities across our country.

About MPI - Mo te Manatu Ahu Matua

Our role includes seizing export opportunities for our food and fibre sector, improving sector productivity, ensuring the food we produce is safe, increasing sustainable resource use, and protecting New Zealand from biological risk.

Benefits of working at MPI - Nga hua o te mahi i te Manatu Ahu Matua

• Additional MPI leave days
• Annual Wellness payment
• Career development and internal opportunities across the branch and organisation

Are you ready to make a difference? - Kua rite koe mo tenei mahi whaitake?

We are committed to being a good partner under Te Tiriti o Waitangi which includes working closely with iwi, hapu, whanau and hapori.

We aspire to reflect the diverse communities we serve, so we welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, and identities. As an organisation, we are committed to making Manatu Ahu Matua Ministry for Primary Industries a great place to work for all.

In your cover letter we'd like to know about you, your values; your interest and motivations for this role; the abilities, strengths, personal attributes, and diverse perspectives you will bring to the role and this organisation, which may have also been gained outside of the workforce.

To view the position description and/or apply online, please click "APPLY FOR THIS JOB" or visit the MPI Careers Site. To apply, you must hold the right to work in New Zealand or be eligible to obtain it - click here to find out more about work visa eligibility and options.

Applications close at 11.59pm on Sunday, 23 November 2025

If you have any questions about the role, please email

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